844 OLD SYSTEM OF WHALING. 



if they give credence to it — go to substantiate such 

 a premise, to wit : 



It formerly was the practice to provide each boat 

 from a whale-ship with a number of bricks. On 

 lowering for, and approaching within a respectable 

 distance of the whale, the boatsteerer was directed 

 to heave one of these bricks at him. If he took no 

 notice of the insult, he was pronounced perfectly safe 

 and tractable, the boat was then laid on and the irons 

 darted; but if, on the contrary, he used his flukes or 

 fins, and made the white water fly, the boat was 

 pointed for the ship ; the fishermen being perfectly 

 satisfied with the display of his belligerent powers 

 without a nearer approach, and very well contented 

 to await a more safe and favorable opportunity of in- 

 creasing their store of oil. 



On the 27th of November we gammoned the ship 

 Plover, of New Bedford ; her mate and his boat's 

 crew being on board our ship, and our captain and a 

 boat's crew aboard of her. At 3 o'clock in the 

 afternoon, our masthead's man sung out for sperm 

 whales. After a short observation our mate lowered 

 away, and in less than ten minutes fastened. Imme- 

 diately the Plover's mate and our second mate 

 dropped their boats, and several boats from the 

 Plover pulled for the scene of operations. After some 

 little ditficulty, a second boat fastened. Our mate, 

 going on to lance the whale, had his boat crushed to 

 pieces, the whale having turned towards him sud- 

 denly and grasped the boat in his jaw, making it a 

 ■wreck in a moment; the crew were pitched head 

 over heels into the water, whilst the boat, being so 

 much damaged, as to be useless, floated away without 



